Did two students use ChatGPT to search suicide methods before Surat temple deaths?

AI promises to make life simpler, but whenever it is about safety, the conversation becomes more complicated. A recent incident from Surat has once again raised difficult questions about how people interact with AI tools. Two young women were found dead inside a temple washroom, and during the investigation, police discovered suicide-related searches on ChatGPT on their phones. Also Read: 7 unique hidden ChatGPT feature ideas

What exactly happened in Surat? The two women, aged 18 and 20, were childhood friends and college students. According to police, both left their homes on Friday morning, saying they were heading to college. However, when they did not return home by the afternoon, their families got worried. Also Read: OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT with GPT-5.4 Thinking and Pro models: What's new?

When relatives contacted the colleges, they found out that the two had not attended classes that day. Later, the families filed a missing persons report with the local police. Authorities tracked their mobile phone location, which eventually led them to the Swaminarayan Temple in the Dindoli area of Surat.

As per the reports, when family members reached the temple, they reportedly found one of the women’s scooters parked outside the premises. CCTV footage from the temple showed the two entering a washroom earlier. The washroom door was locked from the inside. After opening it in the presence of temple authorities, the two women were found unconscious on the floor. They were immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead. At the scene, police recovered anaesthetic bottles, syringes, and injections.

ChatGPT search on their phone

During the initial investigation, police examined the mobile phones recovered from the spot. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police N. P. Gohil, investigators found that the two had searched on ChatGPT about ways to commit suicide.

Police also found a news clipping saved in the phone gallery about a hospital nurse who had allegedly died using anaesthetic injections. The phones have now been sent to a forensic science laboratory (FSL) for further analysis. Investigators are also examining WhatsApp chats and other digital records to understand the events leading up to the incident.

For now, authorities say the focus remains on understanding the circumstances that led the two friends to the temple that day.

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NOTE: If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or emotional distress, help is available. You can contact the national suicide prevention helpline Kiran at 1800-599-0019 or call AASRA at 91-9820466726 for confidential support.